Repeating mechanism for phonographs.



No. 682,424. Patented Sept. l0, |90I.

J. B. POWELL. BEPEATING MECHANISM FR PHONUGRAPHS.,

(Application led Jan. 23, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

nucufoi Patented Sept. 10, |90I. J. B. POWELL. REPEATING HECHANISM FDR PHONDGBAPHS.

(Application led Jan. 2B, 1601.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(N0 Model.)

N uc nfoz UNTTED STATES aTnNT Trice.

JOHN B. POWELL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RE'PEATENG MECHANISM FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 682,424, dated September 10, 1901.

Application tiled January 23,1901. `Serial Noi 44,357. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. POWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Repeating Mechanism for Phonographs, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and aecolnpanying drawings.

My invention consists of a repeating mechanism for phonographs, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Figure l represents a top plan of a phonograph provided with my invention. Fig. 2 represents a vertical transverse section taken on the line u; a: of Fig. l and illustrating the parts in the position they assume when a recordis being reproduced. Fig. 3 represents afragmentary front elevation showing the reproducer-arm at the end of its movementjust before being reversed and returned by the repeating mechanism. Fig. f1 represents a side elevation of a portion of the feed-,shaft and a portion of the arm controlling the reproducer-arm when the latter is about to be reversed and returned to thebeginning of the record. Fig. 5 represents a fragmentary vertical transverse section showing the free end of the reproducer-arm and adjacent parts in corresponding position. Fig. 6 represents a perspective View of a portion of the'repeating mechanism adjacent the forward end of the recordcylinder- Eig. 7 represents a perl spective View of the dog controlling the repeating mechanism. Fig. S represents a top plan of another form of device for lifting the reproducer-arm when the reproducer reaches the end of the record. Fig. 9 represents a sectional View ot' the same, taken on line y y of Fig. S, showing the feed device of the reproducer carriage in elevation. Fig. 10 represents a fragmentary side elevation of the end portion of the reproducer-arm and adjacent parts and showing a dog of modified construction. Fig. ll represents a section thereof on the line e.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspending parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the bed or frame, B the feed-shaft, C the record-cylinder, and D the reproducer-arm, of a phonograph of familiar construction.

Mounted in bearings upon the bed A, just in front of the cylinder O, is a screw-shaft E, preferably a right-hand screw, that rotates oppositely to the feed-shaft B and cylinder O. The screw-shaft E is geared to the feedshaft B, preferably by means of a pinion F upon the shaft E and a gear-wheel G, fastened upon the end of the cylinder O. The said screw-shaft E serves to carry the reproducer-arm D from the end to the beginning of the record, this operation being controlled by a dog H upon the arm D, that is automatically thrown into and out of engagement with the screw-shaft E. When the reproducer-arm D is being fed by the feed-shaft to reproduce the record, the operation of the phonograph is as usual, but parallel with the rail K, upon which the free end of the arm D rests in the ordinary operation of the machine when the feed-nut L engages the feedshaft B, and rising from a plate M is a guiderail or ledge-ange M', against which a projection of the dog H is adapted to abut, said projection N consisting of an antifrictionroller. The nose P of the dog H engages the screW-shat'tE when the roller engages the rail or iiange M. The said dogis pivotedi upon the arm D and is depressed by a spring Q, and when the arm D is feeding forward said dog l-I rests upon the rail-K to hold its nose disengaged from the screw-shaft E and against the tension of the spring Q, as shown in Fig. 2, the weight of the arm D and the projection R upon the dog H serving two purposes. The guide-rail M terminates near the beginning of the record or at the point where it is designed to arrest the return movement of the arm D, although the screw-shaft E extends beyond this end of said rail M to carry the dog H beyond the end thereof to Withdraw it from engagement with the screw-shaft E. To cause the dog H to engage the screw-shaft E when thereproducer reaches the end of the record, the arm D is raised slightly to allow the spring Q to depress the dog tocause the projection or antifriotionroller N to engage the side of the rail H and the nose P to engage the screw-shaft. One construction for carrying out this operation consists in providing the gear-shaft B at its end adjacent the cylinder C with an enlarged portion or cam T, that is engaged by a finger U upon IOO the arm V, carrying the feed-nut L. The particular form of cam aboveshown consists of a cone or flaring portiontat theend of the shaft B, in which is the groove or thread W to be engaged by the finger U, the pitch of said threads W being much greater than those of the feed-screw, so that Vthe reproducer-arm D is quickly raised to disengage the feed-nut L and feed-shaft B and to permit the dog H to be depressed into engagement with the screw-shaft E. To relieve the arm V and finger U of the entire strain of lifting the reproducer-arm, the rail K is provided with an inclined portion or cam X inthe path of the usual roller Y of the reproducer-arm D, that travels upon said rail K and which supports said, arm D when the record is heilig reproduced. The inclination of said cam X is the sameas the cam T, and it is located so that the-roller Y of the reproducer begins to ride the same as the finger-rides the cam T, wherebythe heaviest part of said reproducer-arm -rests positively upon said cam Y.

yThe operation is as follows: When the record :is being reproduced, the arm D travels in;t`he nsual manner, and none of the parts of .my invention `are active except the pin or projection R, that travels upon the rail K to holdthe dog elevated and disengaged from the screw-shaftfE, the parts then being in the position shown in Fig. 3. When the reproducer-reaches the end of the record, the rollerfinger U engages the cam T and the roller Y rides upon the cam X, thus lifting the arm vD slightly, but sufficientlyto allow the spring Q:to depress the dog .H to the position shown iuFig. .4. This forces the roller N against the rail M and .the nose P into engagement withthe screw-shaft. The arm D is now supported-in this position by the roller N, vwhich bears-.upon the rail M and the top of plate,

and thus sustains the weight of the arm D.

The screw-shaft by engagement with the nose P now moves the arm vD in the opposite directionnntil the roller N arrives at the end of the .rail M, and being then unsupported t-heweight of the arm D moves the parts to theposition shown in Fig. 2, the pin or projection R contacting with the top of the rail .Kto holdthe nose P clear of the screw-shaft E. YVhen the arm D thus descends, the roller Y .again comes in contact with the rail K and the `feed-nut L engages the feed-screw B andthe reproducer-arm is again fed forward,v

as shown in Fig. 2.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I have shown a modification in .the mechanism for lifting the reproducer-arm when the reproducer reaches the end of the record and which consists practicallyof a different form of cam from that shown in Fig. 4. In the latter the pitch of the groove or threads W is considerably greater than the pitch of thethreads of the feed-shaft B, and in Figs. 8 and 9 the cam Axis abrupt, and when the finger Btof the ar1nC.engages the same said arm is lifted quickly and in less than a quarter of a revolution of the shaft B in the particular embodiment shown. When `using theform of cam shown in Figs. S and 9, and when the reproducer-arm is lifted quickly, the cam at the end of the rail K is usually dispensed with.

In Figs. l0 and ll I have shown another form of dog that engages a screw-shaft E to re-l tolimit this downward movement. A catch G is pivoted upon the end of the arm E, it being provided with a spring H tovhold said catch G normally inengagement with the bottom of the dog, as shown, to hold the nose thereof out of engagement with the screw-shaft E and its roller above the guide-rail L and the raised guide rail or iiange Q on the plate'K. A pin N upon the frame of the machine is situated in the path of the catch G to engage the same and disengage said catch fromthe dog D at the moment that the reproducerarm is lifted, it being understood that this form of dog can be used in connection `with the lifting mechanism shown in Fig. 4 or 8 equally as well. It will thus be seen that when the reprod ucer reachesthe end of the record the arm is lifted and the .dog is released by independent mechanism, although both will depend upon the movement of the reproducer-arm and its carriage. It will be evident that when the dog descends its nose engages the screw-shaftE and its roller engages the guide-rail Q. The reproducer-arm and carriage are thus returned in the manner above described until the end of said guiderail Q L is reached, whereupon the reproducer` arm again descends upon its roller P', which lifts the dog D', so that it is engagedby the catchand held in the position shown in-Fig. l0.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a phonograph, of a screwshaft geared to the driving mechanism thereof, a dog carried by the reproducerarm of said phonograph adapted to engage said screw-shaft, means for lifting said reproducer-arm and means for moving said dog into engagement with the screw-shaft when the reproducer-arm reaches one limit of its movement, means independent of the means for lifting said reproducer-arm for supporting the same in its raised position, said supporting means terminating near the other limit of movement of the reproducer-arm, whereby the reproducer-arm is lowered, and means for disengaging said dog and screwshaft when the reproducer-arm is lowered.

2. In a phonograph, a reproducer-armprovided with a dog, a screw-shaft geared tothe driving mechanism of the phonograph and adapted to be engaged by said dog t0 return ICO IIO

the rcproducer-arm to the beginning of the record, means independent of said .dog for lifting said reproducer-arm and means for moving said dog into engagement with said screw-shaft, when the reprodncer-arm reaches one limit of its movement, said dog being provided with means for engaging a portion of the frame of the machine to support said reprodncer-arm in elevated position when the dog engages the screw-shaft, said reproducerarm being lowered at the other limit of its movement when the dog reaches the end of and becomes disengaged from said portion of the frame of the machine and means for disengaging said dog and screw-shaft when the reproducer-arm is lowered.

3. In aphonograph, a feed-shaft, a recordcylinder, a reproducer-arm and its carriage, a screw-shaft geared to the driving mechanism of the phonograph, a dog carried by said reproducer-arm and adapted to engage and be disengaged from 'said screw-shaft, a cam independent of said dog to engage a portion of the reproducer-carriage when the reproducer reaches the end of its movement to lift said reproducer-arm, means for moving said dog into engagement with said screw-shaft when said reproducer-arm is lifted, said dog engaging a portion of the frame of the machine when the reprodncer-arm is lifted to support said arm in said elevated position, said reprod neer-arm being loweredvat the other limit of its movement when the dog reaches the end of and becomes disengaged from said portion of the frame of the machine and means for disengaging said dog and screwshaft when the reproducer-arm is lowered.

4t. In a phonograph, a feed-shaft provided with a cam, ascrew-shaftgeared to said feedshaft, a reproducer-carriage having an arm provided with a finger to engage said cam and adapted to lift the reproducer-arni of said carriage when the latter reaches one limit of its movement, a dog carried by said carriage and adapted to engage said screw-shaft when the reproducer-arm is lifted, said dog engaging a portion of the frame of the machine when the carriage is being fed by the feed-shaft to hold said dog disengaged from said screwshaft, means for throwing said dog into engagement with said screw-shaft when the reprodncer-arm is lifted, said dog engaging a portion of the frame of the machine when the reproducer-arm is lifted to support the reprodncer-arm in its raised position, said reproducer-arm being lowered at the other limit of its movement when the dog reaches the end of and becomes disengaged from said portion of the machine, whereby the reproducer-arm can be fed by the feed-shaft and means for disengaging said dog and screwshaft when the reproducer-arm is lowered.

5. In aphonograph,a feed device provided with a gear, a screw-shaft having a pinion meshing with said gear, acam upon said feedshaft, a finger upon the arm of the reproducercarriage to engage said mechanism, a dog upon said reproducer-arm adapted to engage said screw-shaft when the reprodncerarm is lifted at one limit of its movement, means for supporting said reproducer-arm in raised position, said supporting means terminating near the other limit of movement of the reprod neer-arm, whereby the latter is lowered, and means for disengaging said dog and screw-shaft when the reproducer-arm is lowered.

6. In a phonograph, a feed-shaft, a reproducer-arm, a feed-arm therefor, said reproduoer-arm and said feed-arm being adapted to be raised and lowered to disengage and engage the feed-arm and feed-shaft, said feedshaft serving to feed the reprodueer-arm in one direction, a screw-shaft geared to said feed-shaft and adapted to feed in the opposite direction, a guide-rail extending a portion of the length of said screw-shaft, means for lifting the reprodncer-arm at one limit of its movement to disengage said feed-arm and shaft, a spring-depressed dog on said reproducer-arm provided with a roller to engage said guide-rail when the reproducer-arm is lifted, and to hold it elevated, a nose on said dog to lengage the screw-shaft when the reproducer-arm is lifted, whereby the latter is fed in the opposite direction, said reprodncer-arin being lowered at the other limit of its movement when the roller reaches the end of and becomes disengaged from the guide rail, whereby the feed-arm engages the feed-shaft, and said dog engaging a stationary portion of the machine when the reproducer-arm is lowered and serying to hold the nose disengaged from said screw-shaft, and the roller disengaging from said guide-rail.

7. In a phonograph, a feed-shaft for moving the reproducer-arm in one direction, a screw shaft having threads of a different pitch for moving the arm in the opposite direction, means for raising said reproducerarm at one limit of its movement, and means for connecting it with the screw-shaft, and means for supporting said reproducer-arm in its raised position, said means being independent of the means for lifting the same, and terminating near the other limit of move ment of the reproducer-arm whereby the latter is lowered and connected with the feedshaft.

8. In a phonograph, a feed-shaft provided with means for elevating the feed-nut to move the same from engagement therewith, a stationary cam situated in the path of the reproducer-arm to elevate the same when the feed-nut is disengaged from the feed-shaft, and means for moving the said reproducerarm in the opposite direction to that in which it is moved by said feed-shaft.

9. In a phonograph, a guide-rail, a reproducer-arm having a dog provided with a projection to engage said guide-rail and to snpport said reprodncer-arm in an elevated position, said projection bearing against the side of said guide-rail, a feed device for moving IOO IIC

said reproducer-amn in onedii'eotion, a screwl rests when the projection of thedog passes shaft for moving the same in the opposite dibeyondvthe end of the guide-milland allows rection, means for lifting said arm at one said arm to descend.

llnib 0f its movement to allow said projec- JOHN B. POWELL. tion to engage said guide-mil and said dog t0 Witnesses:

en gage said screw-shaft when the reproducer- JOHN A. VVIEDERSHEIM, arm is lifted, and a mil upon which said arm l HARRY COBB KENNEDY. 

